Juice-extraction apparatus



1.. I. THORNYCROFT. 'JUICE EXTRACTION APPARATUS.

APPLiCATION FILED JULY h l9l8.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ISAAC THORfNYCROFT, OF BEMBRIDGE, ISLE OF WIGHT, ENGLAND.

JUICE-EXTRACTION APPARATUS.

1,499,797. Specification of Application filed July 1,

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, Sir JOHN Isaac TnonNYoeor'r, F. R. S., a subject ofthe King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Bembridge, in theIsle of "Night, Eng land, have invented Improvements in or Belating tothe Juice-Extraction Apparatus,of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to the extraction of juice from vegetablesubstances, and more particularly to the separation of juice containingsugar from comparatively soft vegetable substances such as beet, and theinvention has for its object to simplify the con struction of suchjuice-extracting plant, and correspondingly to reduce the cost both ofits production and itsoperation, with the result that the production ofsugar, for example, can. be profitably carried out on a smaller scalethan can be done with advantage by means of the apparatus, commonlyused. V

For this purpose, beet or other vegetable substance from which juice isto be ex tracted, is introduced into a vessel (hereiir after termed thedifiuser), and moved therein against the force of gravity, beingmeanwhile subjected to the action of a solvent such as water, so thatthe solvent and juice will naturally flow in the opposite direction. tothe more solid vegetable substance and the portion of the descendingstream richestin dissolved sugar or other matter, being denser. willtend to descend faster than the more watery portion, thereby enhancingthe efficiency of the treatment, hereinafter termed diffusion i Thematerial to be treated is forced into the lower part of the diffuser,which is preferably vertical, by means of a piston moved in a cylinderby suitable means. as for example, by a hydraulic rain, each stroke ofthe piston causing the material in the diffuser to rise, and ultimatelyto be discharged in a spent or nearly spent condition at the top of thediffuser, whence it can conveniently be discharged into a press by meansof which any available juice remaining in the material can be extracted.During diffusion, a solvent such aswater, or previously extracted juice,or both, is or are admitted to the charge, whilst the juice on reachingthe Letter P n Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

1918. Serial No. 242,735.

bottom of the diffuser drains through a filter into asuitablereceptacle,

. In order that the invention may be fully understood, it will now befurther described with reference to the accompanying drawings whichshow, by way of example, apparatus suitable for the treatmentof-beetroot for the production of syrup or sugar therefrom.

In these drawings Fig. 1 shows the appa- *atus partly in side elevationand partly in central vertical section. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectionon the line AA of Fig. 1.

In these drawings the diffuser comprises a sheet metal receptacle 1 madeof vertical cylindrical shape and provided with a jacket 1 ofnon-conducting material, for example wood. At its lowerend thereceptacle 1 is provided with a downward extension 2 ofinverted'truncated shape within which is secured a filter 3 made ofperforated sheet metal and of similar shape to the said extension andforming therewith an intermediate annular passage 4 that leads into areceptacle 5 provided with an outlet 5. The receptacle 5 is carried bythe upper end of a feedcylinder 6 and is secured to the lower end of thedownward extension 2 by a coupling sleeve 7. Secured to the lower end ofthe filter '3 and bearingagainst the top of the cylinder 6 at 6 is aring 8 of curved shape in section that forms with the receptacle 5, anannular passage 4 forming a continuation of the annular passage 4. Thesaid ring is provided with inwardly extending pins Or projections 9 andribs 10. 11 is a lift-valve,- in the form of a dished metal plate, thatis normally seated on the top of the cylinder 6 at 6 and is capable ofbeing 'aised to an extent limited by the pins or projections 9, whichact as stops, and serve as guides for the valve. This valve normallycloses the upper end of the feed cylinder 6 which is in communicationwith a hopperlike receptacle 12 through a lateral passage 13 cont-rolledby a slide 14. The receptacle 12 serves to hold sliced beet which is fedinto the cylinder through the passage 13 when the slide 14 is withdrawn.The beet may be fed through the passage by the aid of a screw conveyor15 which is so mounted that it can be withdrawnfrom the passage ampleshown, hydraulic rams, each ram to a sufficient extent to enable theslide 14 to be moved into a position to close the communication betweenthe cylinder 6 and receptacle 12 when required. The cylinder 6 is fittedwith a piston 16 and is provided its lower end with a cover 17 formed wth a drain passage'18 and spout 19 through which any juice that may leakpast the piston can'be returned. to the diffuser 1, or be otherwiseutilized. The slide 14 and piston 16 are operated by hydraulic power asis moved upwards to liftthe valve 11 and force the beet through theannular opening formed between the valve and its seat 6 into thediffuser 1 against the weight of the superposed charge therein. When thepiston 16 andslide 14 are'operated by, asin the ex- I should-be madedouble acting, so that it can heated condition as desired.

the feed water admitted to the diffuser.

be forced both upward and downward.

The diffuser 1 is supplied at or near its upper end with water fed intoit through a wa ter heating vessel 22 of any convenient con structionprovided with a water inlet'23 and a steam inlet 24, which can beadjusted, so that the water will enter the diffuser in a 26 is a socketon the vessel 22 in which a thermometer can be placed to determine thetemperature of The diffuser is maintained at a suitable temperature, asfor example by means of a steam or hot wvater coil 25 of any convenientconstruction arranged within its non-conductwater,

ing jacket 1 and having its inlet and outlet at 25 and 25 respectively."At its upper end the diffuser is provided with a hood 2? through whichthe spent beet is discharged into a press or other receptacle.

The difiuseris furnished at an intermedi- .lets for the introduction ofa solvent such as hot juice or water. Each inlet may have associated.therewith means for circulating the juice or water through the beet inthe dif fuser. In the example shown, there are three inlets withassociated means for circulating juice or water in a transversedirection through the beet in the diffuser. In each case thecirculating'means comprises a pump case 28 with inlet 29 for juiceor arotary impeller 30 and chambers 31' and 32 connected to the wall of thediffuser opposite diametrically arranged sets of apertures 33 therein,the said chambers P being connected respectively to the inlet and outletpassages 34 and 35 of the pump case, and the impeller 30 being arrangedto be rotated through a'spindle 36 and belt driven pulley 37. Eachchamber 31 and 32'is provided with a removable cover 38 to admit of itsinterior being inspected and cleaned. The arrangement is such that juiceor water supplied to the inlet 29'through a valve controlled pipe, canbe caused by each pump to circulate transversely through the beet in thepart of the diffuser opposite the corresponding sets of apertures 33.The inlet 29 will also serve for the introduction of a thermometer todetermine the temperature of the juice at the corresponding part of thedifi'user. V

The solution of sugar extracted from the beet finally passes to thefilter '3 through which it flows to the passages 4 and 4 receptacle 5and outlet 5? to a valve 40 whence it can pass through an outlet 41 to asecond valve 42 and thence to a storage receptacle. If desired, theoutlet of the valve 42 could be connected to an exhausting device tofacilitate the passage of water and juice through the mass of beet orother material under treatmentin diffuser 1.

43 is a cylinder connected to the outlet 41 of the'valve 40 and to theinlet of the valve 42 and, by a pipe 44 controlled by a valve 45, to thebottom of the cylinder 6 and fitted with a piston 43 adapted to beoperated by the plunger of a hydraulic ram 46. The arrangement is suchthat by closing the valves 42 and 45 whilst leaving the valve 40 open,and raising the piston in the vessel 43 by the hydraulic ram at 46,juice collected in the cylinder 43 can be forced back at any desiredintervals through the apertures of the filter 3 for the purpose ofclearing these apertures of obstructing nutter. The cylinder 43 may bejacketed and heated by steam or hot water to-heat the juice and renderit the valve 45. and raising. the piston 43 in the cylinder 43. afterthe cylinder 6 has been charged with beet chips and the slide 14 closed,hot juice or water can be delivered into the lower end of the saidcylinder 6 so as to drive out air therefrom before the piston 16 israised, the air beingallowed to escape through one or more valves 6which may be hand controlled. 'Hot juice or water can also be forcedinto the lower end of the diffuser 1 through the cylinder 6 past thevalve 11. Or, hot juice and water can be forced into the lower end ofthe diffuser '1 through the pipe 41, valve 40 and filter 3, as abovedescribed, but not necessarily for cleaning the filter though this willnevertheless take place should the filter'be clogged.

The use of apparatus such as described does not change'the nature of theseveral operations necessary for the production of beet silver as nowcarried out, but it secures great s1mpl1e1ty 1n the construction andoperation of such apparatus for diffusion in comparison with apparatusat present commonly used, the slow upward movement of the column of beetwithin the diffuser 1 whilst the stream of solvent water and juice movesslowly in the opposite direction, having the same effect as a battery ofmany cells charged and emptied in rotation.

The difluser may be of considerable height, and the force of gravitywill then afford sufficient pressure to ensure the efficient flow of itsliquid contents.

In some instances the slide 14 and piston 16 could be reciprocatedautomatically and successively and by power other than hydraulic power.The lower end of the beet recentacle 12, may in some cases, be connectedto the cylinder 6 byv an inclined passage through which the sliced beetcan fall by gravity from the receptacle into the cylinder, when theslide 14: is withdrawn, and the screw conveyor 15 dispensed with, butthe arrangement shown, in which a screw conveyor is used, preferred.Also, more than one feed hopper and cylinder and more than one annularfilter and lift valve may be provided in connection with a singlediffusing chamber. The arrangement described may obviously be alsoconsideraby modified in other respects whilst still remaining within thescope of the invention.

hat I claim is l. Juice extracting apparatus comprising a substantiallyvertical diffuser. a centrally arranged lift valve located within thelower part of said diffuser and normally closing the lower end thereofand adapted when lifted to form an annular opening between itsperipheryand the inner surface of said diffuser, means for limiting theupward movement of said valve, a vertical feed cylinder located directlybelow and connected to the lower end of said diffuser, a receptaclehaving its lower end connected to the upper end of said feed cylinder bya lateral passage through which solid sliced beet or like material canenter said feed cylinder, means adapted to open and close said, passage,a vertically movable piston within said feed cylinder adapted on itsupward stroke to lift said valve and force sliced beet or like material,previously admitted to the feed cylinder, into the lower end of saiddiffuser through the annular openin formed between the lifted valve andthe-inn 1' surface of said diffuser, means for suppl lug a solvent to anupper part of the diffuser andw neans for drawing off juice from the lowpart of said diffuser.

2. duice extracting apparatus comprising a stostantially verticaldiffuser having a truncated lower end portion, a centrally arranged liftvalve located within said lower portion of said. diffuser and normallyclosing the lower end thereof and adapted when lifted to form an annularopening between its periphery and the inner surface of said diffuser anddirect material entering the truncated lower portion of aid diffuseroutward against the inner surface thereof, means for limiting the upwardmovemert of said valve, a feed cylinder connected to the lower portionof said diii'use means for supplying sliced beet or like material tosaid feed cylinder, piston movable within said feed cylinder and adaptedon its operative stroke to lift said valve and force the contents ofsaid feed cylinder into the lower end of said diffuser through theannular opening formed between its inner surface and the periphery ofthe lifted valve and against the inner surface of the lower end portionof the diffuser. means for supplying a solvent to an upper part of thedif fuser, means for drawing off juice from the lower partof thediffuser, and means surrounding said diffuser for heating the same andits contents.

3. Juice extracting apparatus comprising a substantially verticaldiffuser, a centrally arranged lift valve located within the lower partof said diffuser and normally closing the lower end thereof and adaptedwhen lifted to form an annular opening between its periphery and theinner surface of said diffuser, means for limiting the upward movementof said valve, a vertical feed cylinder located directly below andconnected to said diffuser, a piston vertically movable in said feedcylinder, a hopper-like feed receptacle having its lower end connectedto the upper end of said feed receptacle by a lateral passage, a rotarywithdraw; ble feeding device for forcing sliced material to be treatedthrough said passage from said receptacle into said feed cylinder, avertically movable slide for opening and closing said passage when saidfeeding device is sufiiciently withdrawn, a reciprocating; rod tooperate said piston, a reciprocatrod to operate said slide valve, meansfor supplying a solvent to the upper part of said diffuser and means fordrawing off juice from the lower part of said diffuser.

Juice extracting apparatus comprising a substantially vertical diffuser,a feed cylinder ith piston connected to the lower end of said cylinder,a centrally arranged lift valve located within the lower part of saiddiffuser and normally closing the lower end thereof and adapted whenlifted to form between its peripher and the inner surface of saiddiffuser an annular opening through which material will be forcedagainst the inner surface of the diffuser when the piston makes itsoperative stroke, and means for causing water or juice to circulatetransversely through the diffuser and the contents thereof at a partbetweenthe top and bottom thereof, said means comprising two chambershaving removable covers and arranged at opposite sides of said diffuserand in communication therewith through a plurality of apertures inopposite portions of the wall of said diffuser the inlet for liquid toone chamber and the outletv for liquid from the other chamber extendingin thev same direction from one side of the diffuser,

and a circulating pump comprising a casing fixed to the wall of saiddiffuser between the said inlet and outlet and having its delivery andsuction connection respectively to said inlet and outlet, and a rotarylmpeller in said casing adapted to cause liquid to circulatecontinuously, directly and transversely through the contents of thediffuser adjacent to the perforated sides thereof, said casing alsohaving an inlet for the admission of liquid thereto from an externalsource.

5. Juice extracting apparatus comprising a substantially verticaldiffuser, a feed cylinder with piston connected to the lower end of saidcylinder, a centrally arranged lift valve located within the lower partof said diffuser and normally closing the lower end thereof and adaptedwhen lifted to form between its periphery and the inner surface of saiddiffuser an annular opening through which material will be forcedagainst the inner surface of the diffuser when the piston makes itsoperative stroke, and means for causing water or juice to circulate in atransverse direction through the diffuser and its contents atdifferentparts thereof between it top and bottom, said circulating meanscomprising a plurality of independent pairs of chambers each with anassociated circulating pump, each pair of chambers having removablecovers and being located at opposite sides of and connected to thediffuser and incommunication therewith through a plurality of aperturesin. opposite portions of the wall of the diffuser, and each associatedcirculating pump being attached to the diffuser and having an inlet forwater or juice and its suction and delivery passages directly connectedto the associated pair ofchambers.

6. Juice extracting apparatus comprising a substantially verticaldiffuser, a vertical feed cylinder located directly below the diffuserand central therewith, a centrally arranged lift valve that normallycloses the upper end of said feed cylinder, a seating therefor, anannular filter arranged above said lift valve, a piston verticallymovable in said feed cylinder and adapt-ed to cause the contents of thefeed cylinder to lift said valve and to passupwards into the diffuserthrough the annular opening between the lifted valve and its seating,means for supplying a solvent to an upper part of the diffuser, meansfor drawing off juice from the lower partof said diffuser through saidfilter, and means for forcing liquid backward through the filter for thepurpose of cleaning the same. 7

7. Juice extracting apparatus comprising a substantially verticaldiffuser, a feed cylinder located belowthe diffuser, a centrallyarranged lift valve-that is located within and'normally closes thelowerend of said diffuser, a filter within said diffuser and above saidvalve, a piston vertically movable in said feed cylinder and adapted tocause the contents of the feed cylinder to lift said valve and to passupwards into the diffuser through the annular opening between the liftedvalve and diffuser, means for supplying a solvent to an upper part ofthe diffuser, a conduit for drawing off juice from the lower end of saiddiffuser through said filter andprovided with two controlling valves, ajuice transfer cylinder connected at one end to said conduit at a partthereof between its two valves and adapted to receive juice fromsaiddiffuser and a piston within said cylinder adapted to force juicefrom said cylinder back into the diffuser through said filter. 7

8. Juice extracting apparatus comprising a substantially verticaldiffuser, a feed cylinder located below said diffuser, a centrallyarranged lift valve arranged within and normally closing the bottom ofsaid diffuser, means for limiting the upward movement of said valve, apiston movable in said'feed cylinder and adapted to cause the contentsthereof to lift said valve and to pass upward into the diffuser throughthe annular opening between the diffuser and valve, a valve controlledair outlet atthe upper part of said feed cylinder, means for supply asolvent to an upper part of the diffuser, a juice transfer cylinderadapted to be connected at one end to the lower end of the diffuser andto the lower end of the feed cylinder and valve means controlling eachconnection whereby juice can be fed into the transfer cylinder from thediffuser and afterwards be forced into the feed cylinder for the purposeset forth.

9. Juice extracting apparatus comprising a substantially verticaldiffuser, a filter with-' in the lower end of said diffuser, a verticalfeed cylinder located directly below the diffuser and having a valvecontrolled air outlet near its upper end, a, centrally arranged liftvalve'ad'apted normally to close the communication between saidldiffnser and the upper end of said feed cylinder, a piston verticallymovable in said feed cyl-V inder and adapted to cause the contentsthereof to lift thevalve and enter the diffuser between the lower endthereof and said valve, means for supplying a solvent to an upper partof thediffuser, a conduit provided with two control valves for draw,-

lower end of said diffuser or to the lower end of said feed cylinder, atwill, and ac- 10 cording to the position of the said control valves.

Si 'ned at IBembridge in the Isle of \Vight, aforesaid, this thirtiethday of May, 1918.

JOHN ISAAC THORNYCROFT.

